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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28026042">waiting for the best to bloom</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/potsticker1234/pseuds/potsticker1234'>potsticker1234</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Azula (Avatar) Redemption, F/F, Flashbacks, Happy Azula (Avatar), Light Angst, Post-Canon, Slice of Life, eventually, gardener azula, not canon compliant with the comics, road to recovery, series of time jumps, tyzula - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:41:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28026042</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/potsticker1234/pseuds/potsticker1234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the best things in life take time to bloom and you must be patient to see the results.</p>
<p>(Ty Lee's got a green thumb and it kills her to see Azula wilting away after the war.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>waiting for the best to bloom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ok this started out with the idea of Tyzula cottage core but then the angst took over.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The earth felt firm beneath Ty Lee’s feet. Pulling in a deep breath of fresh air, she chirped at Azula, “There’s nothing I love more than the smell of nature!”</p>
<p>Azula looked so rigid in the outdoors, “Not true, I can think of at least one person you love more than this,” she gestured vaguely at the ground.</p>
<p>“You’re right, I love Mai more than this,” she winked at the Princess, anything to get a rise out of her.</p>
<p>She watched as Ty Lee pulled out a spade from her tool bag and got down on her knees next to the soil, Azula felt herself drawn to watching her work fascinated with the way Ty Lee moved and tilled the soil with such care. At first, she couldn’t find the joy in gardening. What fun is there in routing around in the dirt like a lowly farmer? This was not to mention that waiting game involved. The types of plants and flowers that Ty Lee enjoyed seemed to take the longest to bloom. Overtime, the hobby grew on her too but more so she just liked spending time with her girlfriend. Things weren’t always that easy though....</p><hr/>
<p><em>Azula, can you stop scowling, the flowers don’t like your negative energy</em>, her words rang through her mind as clear as the day she first took them to the royal gardens in Ba Sing Se all those years ago. The girl had always had an affinity for all things green and outdoorsy. While Azula had chosen to bring home some Dai Li agents, Ty Lee brought with her a handful of seeds ranging from peonies, camellias, plum blossoms, and more The flowers had a hard time growing in the volcanic environment around the Capital, however, and died quickly. The defeated look on Ty Lee’s face had been enough to almost break Azula’s heart. </p>
<p>Caught up in the success of her coup, Azula thought that maybe she could relax for a bit. She had ordered for new soil to be imported from the Earth Kingdom. The less acidic soil was compacted into several planter boxes for Ty Lee. Instructing her to close her eyes, Azula walked her out onto a plot of land just outside of the palace facing the lake.</p>
<p>“Azula, please, the anticipation is killing me,” Ty Lee tried to remove Azula’s hand from over her eyes but she did not budge.</p>
<p>They walked up a few more steps and Azula turned the girl in her arms to face the newest annex to the royal gardens. She felt the girl brimming with excitement when she finally lifted her hand to let her take in the new surroundings.</p>
<p>Ty Lee gasped, “Oh Azula, it’s so beautiful!” she bounded around from each aisle looking at all the colorful flowers.</p>
<p><br/>
Azula had had flowers from around the Earth Kingdom imported as well as the soil. She really had no knowledge on gardening and really didn’t care to learn any, but the royal groundskeepers were helpful in balancing the soil compositions and making sure the plants had enough access to sunlight and water. </p>
<p>Ty Lee had been quite literally smelling the roses when she stopped at a small box in the center of the garden. There were multiple black and white flowers in the box and she picked one up, raising an eyebrow at Azula, “How did you find these?”</p>
<p>Azula did not answer her, instead she observed the view before her and felt the breeze come up from the lake. The sun was high over the city and she loved the way it bounced off of Ty Lee’s cheeks. She moved into Ty Lee’s space and saw the girl’s breath hitch as she plucked the panda lily from her hand.</p>
<p>“I did my research, these flowers seem only able to grow in humid climates,” she turned the flower over in her hand, “I thought they’d be perfect for the city.” Smooth hands tucked hair behind Ty Lee’s ear as she placed the flower in her hair noticing how the bold black and white contrasted the pink hues of her outfit.</p>
<p>Emboldened by Azula’s move, Ty Lee caught Azula’s hand in her own, “You know what that means right, giving someone a panda lily?”</p>
<p>The Princess lied through her teeth rambling on about how it was just a flower she thought would look good in the gardening space, nothing more, nothing less. </p>
<p>She was lost in her words when Ty Lee leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, “Thank you, Azula, you really didn’t have to do this for me.”</p>
<p>Azula wanted to shout it to the world that she deserved the finest things that money could buy and how she deserved to be treated like a princess too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The new garden flourished under Ty Lee’s care. She made sure to water each plant according to its needs and when she was not able to be there herself, Azula had made sure that there would be enough spare help from the palace to keep things alive and well.</p>
<p>It seemed as if the only time she couldn’t be found in the garden was when she was hanging out in the royal palace with Mai and Azula or when she was sleeping. Though if there were to be a bed setup near the flowers, some nights were definitely warm enough that she would’ve slept beside her plants. </p>
<p>When news of Zuko fleeing the Capital had reached her, it came in the form of an angry Azula seething at the steps to the garden. </p>
<p>“Not another step closer,” Ty Lee wagged her finger at her, “Your negative energy is going to leech the life out of my garden.” </p>
<p>“Your garden?” Azula had forgotten about her anger over her brother, “Refresh my memory, who had dirt and flora from all corners of the Earth Kingdom shipped in? And who owns the land that this very garden sits on?” </p>
<p>Ty Lee laughed at how serious the Princess was at times, “You’re going to stress them out,” she motioned at the carnations in front of her. </p>
<p>Azula sat down on a stone bench as Ty Lee continued to prim and prune things, “I just don’t understand him! I practically hand him his old life back on a golden platter and he just throws it away! For what? For some special tea and a simple life with Uncle Iroh?” </p>
<p>Her head was now buried in her hands, “I sincerely hope he takes a long palanquin walk off a short pier.” </p>
<p>Ty Lee, not looking up from the rose thorns she was cutting, opened her mouth to speak, “You don’t mean that, and besides, it just means there’s no one standing in your way of the throne.”</p>
<p>This piqued Azula’s interest as she studied the girl clipping thorns. Azula had been too caught up in Zuko’s decision to leave that she had not stopped to contemplate what this might mean for her and how it might benefit her. </p>
<p>The tension in her face eased as she pondered Ty Lee’s words, “Firelord Azula does sound very promising.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry to hear about Zuko, but I’m glad you’re feeling better. Any more of that aura and it would’ve shocked the garden into a premature winter!”</p>
<p>Ty Lee stood up and made her way to Azula. She stuck a thornless pink rose in Azula’s hand before skipping down the steps. </p>
<p>The rose smelled just like her with a hint of earthy tones, Azula pushed down the warm feelings in her chest. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When Ty Lee was arrested at the Boiling Rock, her garden back home had become a place of great anguish for Azula. Where she used to see colorful flowers and beautiful hedges, now she saw everything that reminded her of the person she hated most. </p>
<p>Yet despite the rage that Ty Lee’s actions had instilled in her, she could not bring herself to burn the garden to the ground. </p>
<p>It survived under the care of royal gardeners but none could make the flowers grow and thrive like the girl in pink. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once the war ended, Ty Lee avoided the garden for weeks. Sure, she was busy running around with the Kyoshi Warriors, but as a Fire Nation citizen first and foremost, she was able to come back to the city at any point in time. The thought of facing their special shared place was too much to bear.</p>
<p>Newly appointed as Firelord, Zuko was equally unsure what to do about the property. While he wanted to rid the nation of any remnants of Ozai’s reign, he couldn’t get himself to repurpose the garden. Except for regular upkeep, it lay untouched for months.</p>
<p>Except for now, when the warriors were asked to do a tour around the Capital as part of an intercultural relations event. Zuko housed them proudly in the finest estate just outside of the palace. It was better furnished than anything the other girls had seen in their life, but Ty Lee knew it was nothing compared to the real thing. Gazing out the window, she thought back to sleepovers in the palace with Mai and Azula, doing cartwheels near the pond, and lying in the grass counting the stars, her hand clasped in Azula’s.</p>
<p>Curiosity got the better of her and she found herself standing at the steps of their old garden. The original earthy smell was gone now replaced by a bleak dusty odor. The color and lifeblood had drained from the flowers and Ty Lee was surprised any of them survived this long without her. </p>
<p>The center box caught her eye and she shuffled heavy feet towards it. The delicate two-tone petals of the panda lilies had wilted without her constant attention and care. They fluttered to the ground and Ty Lee remembered the way Azula had pretended to not know how symbolic they were in the Earth Kingdom. </p>
<p>A chill ran up her spine just thinking about Azula and the pain that she caused her. Things were better now, the world was beginning to find its new peace, but Ty Lee felt wrong without her by her side. </p>
<p>Without the proper tools, she looked down at the wilted flowers and began to dig them out, whispering more to herself than the flowers, a tear rolled down her cheek, “Maybe we can start again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Things were better. </p>
<p>The disputes in the Fire Nation colonies had died down and along with them, most assassination attempts on Zuko. The Kyoshi Warriors were allowed to relax for a while and though traveling was one of her favorite parts of living on the road, Ty Lee found herself far too often drawn back home.</p>
<p>Her apartment bordered the edge of the Caldera. Though small in size, it was more than adequate for short term lodging in the Fire Nation. It was decorated to the brim with exotic tapestries and furniture, perks of being the future Fire Lady’s best friend. </p>
<p>There were no scheduled plans for the evening so the knock at the door surprised her. She opened the door to find a courier holding an envelope. Wordlessly, she took the envelope from him as he bowed. </p>
<p>It looked plain on the outside, but there was something heavy and metallic enclosed.</p>
<p>Opening the window to let the light in, she sat cross legged on the floor and opened the top of the envelope. From it she pulled a letter of invitation to the care facility Azula was staying at and a round metal badge of entry. The contents of the letter were short and succinct, the physicians and the Firelord himself were practically begging her to come visit Azula.</p>
<p>She wanted to crumple up the stupid letter and throw the damned badge out the window. How dare they think that seeing her would be the best thing for Azula? It already seemed that they weren’t really focused on helping her get better. They just wanted her out of their hair, tucked away from the public’s prying eye.</p>
<p>It made Ty Lee sick to her stomach that Azula’s own brother would try to get her to see her. She was dead sure that Azula never wanted to see her again and she’d be half lying if she said she didn’t feel that way too.</p>
<p>Her head was reeling and she did the only thing she could think of in this situation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Excuse me, miss, are you lost? We don’t usually let in strays off the street,” Mai regarded her old friend and waited for the big hug she was about to be engulfed in. And when it did not come, Mai wondered what was so serious as to cause her friend to look so glum.</p>
<p>“Mai, did you know about this?” Ty Lee handed the folded letter over to her friend.</p>
<p>Mai’s contemplative eyes scanned the letter and noted the official seal of her boyfriend’s office, “I can’t say I do. What’s the matter anyways? You miss her a lot.”</p>
<p>Ty Lee snatched the letter out of her hands, “You’re crazy, no way do I miss her after what she was about to do to you!”</p>
<p>Mai seemed untouched at the memory of almost throwing down with the Princess of the Fire Nation.</p>
<p>“Do you remember what she did to us afterwards?” Ty Lee was positively fuming now and pacing, her shoes echoing through the corridors.</p>
<p>As if discussing nothing more exciting than the weather, Mai stated, “She threw us in jail.”</p>
<p>“She threw us in jail!” the girl repeated back to her, “We were her friends, Mai, how does that even happen?”</p>
<p>“If she really wanted to kill us, she could’ve done it right there on the spot. But she didn’t,” her words seemed to not connect in Ty Lee’s head, so Mai tried again,</p>
<p>“She also could have had us executed for treason against her, but she didn’t. She could have sent us off to some labor camp in the Earth Kingdom, but she didn’t. Where did she send us? To the most cushy prison this side of the island. Honestly, getting struck with lightning might’ve been better than listening to you bond with those girls over prison shanties.”</p>
<p>The dots connected for Ty Lee and her eyes grew wide, maybe things weren’t always meant to be taken at face value. She had to admit that the thought of Azula protecting them from their final hour did not cross her mind.</p>
<p>“Do you think I should go?” Ty Lee searched Mai’s eyes for any sign of fleeting disapproval.</p>
<p>“I think your nervous energy right now can tell you that answer,” she looked down at the way Ty Lee’s feet kept shifting over the stone floors.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first visit was hard. Azula had freaked out at Ty Lee’s sudden appearance. But what was she expecting, Azula’s living condition was a mere step above a caged animal. Things eased slightly over time, much like the slow progress of fire lily at the beginning of spring.</p>
<p>Azula’s shoulders began to relax, the hard lines in her face disappearing, the way her eyes darted all over her environment became less noticeable; and Ty Lee felt like maybe she was making good progress. There was an impossible dichotomy rising up in Ty Lee’s own heart at the way her friend seemed to be recovering.</p>
<p>Externally, she was so happy for Azula’s slow progress and acquisition of some semblances of her former self; but there was a part of her head that told her not to celebrate these steps. It felt strange to feel selfish but if anything, her time in the imperial prison taught her to stick up for herself. </p>
<p>What was fair and what was good were not always things that unanimously aligned. Sometimes good things didn’t come in pretty pink wrapped packages. </p>
<p>When the royal physician deemed Azula fit to leave the facility she made all notions clear that she did not wish to return to the palace. Zuko rebutted her asking where she would live; the wounds of the Earth Kingdom were much too fresh to house a member of the royal family, but the grand palace was full of too many memories for her. Zuko compromised by letting her stay somewhere outside of the palace but within the Caldera. Ty Lee had the perfect place in mind.</p>
<p>The door to Ty Lee’s humble apartment swung open and suddenly she felt embarrassed by her housekeeping skills. Clothes were scattered around various parts of the main room and there was a bowl of mushy pears on the table. She cringed at how Azula was surely judging her silently from behind her back.</p>
<p>She picked up a few shirts and ran her hand over the table collecting a thick layer of dust, “I, uh, haven’t been home in a few weeks,” she laughed nervously.</p>
<p>“Home,” the word was just a whisper on her lips but it made Ty Lee’s heart ache. </p>
<p>She took Azula’s surprisingly light travel bag from her and ushered her up the stairs to the spare bedroom which had become Ty Lee’s storage room for all things collected during her travels. Azula eyed the paintings and trinkets from different parts of the world. Every moment of silence felt like Ty Lee was losing points from her.</p>
<p>Ty Lee plopped the bag down on the bed, “Well, it’s not nearly as grand as you’re used to, but there’s privacy and a nice view of the city.”</p>
<p>Her words had caused Azula’s gaze to snap over to the silhouette of the palace spires in the background, her eyes narrowed; not a good move, Ty Lee thought. </p>
<p>The first night back at the apartment went fairly fine. Ty Lee had let Azula borrow some of her less peppy looking outfits and promised her they could go shopping for some more refined clothing. </p>
<p>Ty Lee was wrapped cozily in her own bed when she heard the patio door open. She checked to see if sunlight was coming in from the window but it was pitch black outside. Another noise came from outside and prompted Ty Lee to leave the warmth of her bed. </p>
<p>The Fire Nation was on the cusp of changing seasons but the cold air still chilled her to the bone. Azula was nowhere to be seen on the deck overlooking the lake. Ty Lee was about to turn back into the house when she heard a shuffling noise on the roof tiling. As still as a dragon statue, Azula lounged on the corner of the curved eaves with her face upturned towards the sky. </p>
<p>So as to not startle the girl, Ty Lee made her movements loud and let her feet clatter over the tiles, “You could’ve just said something if the bed was too uncomfortable,” she joked.</p>
<p>“Tell me, Ty Lee, how much did Zuko pay you to do this?” Azula did not remove her upward gaze.</p>
<p>She wanted to go sit next to her on the edge of the roof and let her feet dangle, but she decided Azula wasn’t in the mood for companionship. Instead, she settled for sitting a safe distance away from her.</p>
<p>“Well I suppose Mai’s paying for this place, so technically Zuko is paying for it too?” she knew that wasn’t the answer the Princess was seeking. Her eyes were unreadable in the low light but she thought she saw a spark of amusement flash over them.</p>
<p>“If this was not his idea, then I guess I should thank you for your hospitality,” Ty Lee smiled in the dark at her, “but it won’t be necessary for long. I can’t stay here forever.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think that was the arrangement you made with your brother.”</p>
<p>Even without being right next to her, Ty Lee realized her comment had made Azula heat up with resentment.</p>
<p>“He doesn’t own me,” was all she said.</p>
<p>There were a million and one different ways the next few minutes could go. Ty Lee could choose to defend Zuko and leave her in an even more sour mood, she could cater to Azula’s every whim and help stoke the belief that the world was out to get her, or she could do nothing.</p>
<p>The silence wasn’t uncomfortable to either of them, but it was definitely unusual. Azula kept her eyes cast on the sky, perhaps watching the stars and envying their freedom while Ty Lee watched her. The roles were reversed and it made her contemplate how much things had truly changed.</p>
<p>“Azula,” Ty Lee called out to her under the dark sky and her head tilted slightly in her direction, “I can’t make you stay and I certainly can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. But would you give me the chance to show you how much things have changed in the last two years? Things are better now and I think you could grow to like this place again.”</p>
<p>She chewed the inside of her cheek waiting for the Princess to say anything at all.</p>
<p>“Fine. You have one week,” Azula stood up from her resting position and lowered herself back onto the deck. She paused before going inside and extended her hand, “Well, aren’t you coming? You’ll freeze out here.”</p>
<p>Ty Lee took her hand in hers and felt her grip was stronger than it had been in a long time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In all honesty, sometimes letting Azula stay in her house felt like babysitting a dragon egg. She needed just the right environment and often wanted to be left alone. However, she wasn’t allowed to complain about the daily activities Ty Lee dragged her out of the house for since she had quite literally asked the girl to prove it to her.</p>
<p>Ty Lee tried every activity under the sun that Azula used to be fond of from pai sho to kuai ball to teaching Azula an easy handstand trick. All fell flat with the exception of shopping for new clothes. She could not wait to get out of the pink and light red hues that consisted of Ty Lee’s wardrobe. While darker reds and golds suited her, Ty Lee liked the way she looked in her clothes even if it was out of place.</p>
<p>The end of the time period to convince Azula was quickly approaching and Ty Lee was running out of ideas. This one, however, came to her like a fever dream and she promptly dragged the Princess out of bed and around the lake. She was surprised at Azula’s resistance to get up so early, she had always known her to rise before the sun.</p>
<p>“Ty Lee, I swear to all that is good in this world–” Azula stopped dead in her tracks when she realized they were standing at the entrance to their own private garden. It didn’t look quite as magnificent as she remembered it, but then again, nothing did.</p>
<p>Ty Lee took the bag off her shoulder and handed a crude looking tool to Azula, a spade she recalled. She instructed the Princess to start digging a hole at the end of the planter’s box.</p>
<p>One by one, she handed Azula gardening supplies and told her all the things to do to ensure proper growth. To Ty Lee’s chagrin, the Princess did as she was told without any comments of how it was wasting her time. After several minutes of planting, Azula had a row of neatly planted flower seeds covered evenly with soil. They almost rivaled Ty Lee’s own row and she was pleased to know that Azula was still a fast learner.</p>
<p>That was really all she had planned for their morning in the garden when Azula walked by all the other plants and inspected their fun shapes and colors. The Princess stopped in front of the carnations and commented about how the color matched her outfit, how the orchids grew so much taller than her, how she admired the gracefulness of the wisteria as it hung from the branches.</p>
<p>Azula stopped at the center of the garden, taken aback by the panda lilies that had managed to survive the many months.</p>
<p>“You kept them,” she breathed out.</p>
<p>Ty Lee came up beside her and guided Azula’s hesitant hand towards the rare flower. She ran the black and white petal between her fingers.</p>
<p>“I couldn’t get myself to replace them despite how bad they looked. They look better now than they used to, but they’re nothing like they could be,” she realized she was still holding onto Azula’s hand and blushed.</p>
<p>She hoped Azula hadn’t noticed how fast she moved her hand away.</p>
<p>“They don’t like the cold air coming up from the lake,” Azula took the bucket of water and poured lots of it into the soil and hovered her hand over it causing it to steam up. The panda lilies immediately perked up at the humidity and Ty Lee knew in that instant that any ignorance Azula claimed about gardening was all a farce.</p>
<p>So this seemed to be the thing that kept her from moving to some remote village across the ocean, if only Ty Lee had figured this out months ago, maybe things could have gone smoother when they first reconnected. There was not much point to dwelling on it and she was determined to bring out Azula’s hidden green thumb.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Over the next couple of weeks, Azula was up before the sun was out and left and returned to the house before Ty Lee even woke up. She trusted Azula to not make a sudden break for it but she also had to admit that not babysitting Azula was quite refreshing.</p>
<p>She didn’t really intend on asking Azula what she was doing up so early every morning, but she figured it had something to do with the dirt between under nails and how the patio door was always propped open. </p>
<p>Aside from the plants, Azula seemed to be growing too. Her cheeks weren’t so hollow and her ribs didn’t stick out under her clothes. She had always had a sleek frame, but her absolute loss of muscle was the first thing Ty Lee noticed about her when she got her out of the baggy traveling clothes and into one of her own pink crop tops. The girls had always been around the same size, but the shirt seemed to envelope Azula and in a sea of fabric. Now, properly dressed in her own clothes, Azula actually had some form and figure to herself.</p>
<p>Sometimes Ty Lee would ask her how the garden was going, other times she’d let her slip back inside the house quietly. Today she was feeling extra lucky, “How’s my little gardener doing?”</p>
<p>“Excuse me,” Azula looked up over the top of her book.</p>
<p>“You’re reading about optimal plant climates.”</p>
<p>“I like to stay informed about everything I do.”</p>
<p>Ty Lee chuckled and let her believe she had defended herself rationally.</p>
<p>Things were turning around for the better, she truly believed Azula to be on the upswing of her recovery. The fact that she was able to get her to joke around like that instead of recoil, was quite telling.</p>
<p>It was only when she followed Azula out the door one bright and early morning did she finally see how much good the plants were doing for her.</p>
<p>“Goodmorning, Jing, June.”</p>
<p>Since when had Azula named the panda lilies? Ty Lee watched from behind a wall of bamboo.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if this is what’s right for me,” Azula gingerly watered the panda lilies and was careful not to over or under hydrate them.</p>
<p>She pruned back dead buds, “I used to be royalty. People grovelled at my feet and now look at me,” she incinerated the dead buds on contact,</p>
<p>“Now I just have an audience of dying flowers. I still think you’re better listeners than my mother ever could’ve been. She’d probably drop dead if she saw me out here toiling in the dirt.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t mind though, she tried so hard to ignore the warning signs that she just ended up feeding into them. She thought I was a monster and I used to believe her, but now…</p>
<p>“I’m not sure what I think about myself anymore. I don’t really like to at all.”</p>
<p>Ty Lee noticed that a few tears had fallen down her cheek and her heart split in two.</p>
<p>“Pretty pathetic don’t you think?” Azula said to herself and her flowers.</p>
<p>“I don’t think it’s pathetic at all,” Ty Lee stepped out from her hiding spot and balked at the way Azula jumped out of her skin.</p>
<p>Her eyes were wide, “How long have you been watching me?”</p>
<p>“Enough to know that you’ve named the lilies.”</p>
<p>Azula groaned and turned back to face the plants, “Why are you here anyways, you normally sleep until half past noon.</p>
<p>She shrugged and knelt beside Azula, “Wanted to see you in action?”</p>
<p><br/>
Azula gestured vaguely at the plants, “Not much to see.”</p>
<p>But she was very wrong, she had managed to bring the lilies back from the edge and they looked healthier than they ever did under Ty Lee’s watch. </p>
<p>Ty Lee bound over to the rose section and picked out a red one before returning to Azula’s side, “Growth takes time and from what I understand, these particular flowers require the perfect conditions to bloom. But once they do,” she smelled the rose in her hand, “they will be the most beautiful thing in the garden.”</p>
<p>She dropped the rose into Azula’s lap and rubbed her back, she so desperately wanted to tell her how much she wanted her to stay with her, not just at the small house, but here in this moment forever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The return of summer brought warmer weather and brighter days. Ty Lee loved the freedom to go outside in shortsleeves and bask in the sun. It was always naturally warmer in the Caldera, but still, nothing beat a hot, sunny day in her eyes. </p>
<p>Azula had left the house early in the morning as per usual but she didn’t mind. She had errands to run anyways. </p>
<p>With arms full of produce, she swung the door open asking Azula for some help, but no one replied. She haphazardly slopped the groceries onto the table and wandered the house for any signs of the Princess. She was nowhere to be seen and Ty Lee felt the internal panic creeping in. She had lost the royal Princess of the Fire Nation, how does that even happen?</p>
<p>The last room she checked was her own. There was a bundle of flowers laying in the middle of her bed. Upon further inspection, it was a bouquet of panda lilies strung together with a red ribbon. A note stuck out from under the flowers.</p>
<p>“<em>Zuzu called for me this morning, will be back soon</em>.”</p>
<p>Ty Lee clutched the panda lilies to her chest and gazed out the window at the palace. She had not a doubt in her mind that that was where Azula was. She fingered the note, admiring the perfect handwriting when she turned it over,</p>
<p>“<em>I know</em>.”</p><hr/>
<p>Ty Lee wiped the sweat from her brow, content with her work and looked up at Azula for approval.</p>
<p>“It looks great.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t even look,” she stuck out her bottom lip at the Princess.</p>
<p>Azula waved her off, “I don’t have to look to know that you did a good job.”</p>
<p>“Cop out.”</p>
<p>“Falsely accused.”</p>
<p>“Come here.”</p>
<p>Azula sauntered over to the planters box and inspected her work at the micro level. Everything was straight and evenly placed, she had truly done a good job.</p>
<p>“It looks excellent, Ty Lee.”</p>
<p>Contented with her compliment, Ty Lee smiled and pulled her in for a kiss.</p>
<p>Pulling away, she giggled at the smudge of dirt she had left on Azula’s cheek. She moved her thumb to gently swipe away at it when she noticed how full Azula’s eyes were as she watched her. They were filled with trust and love and compassion, all things the Princess herself wasn’t sure she was capable of feeling even after coming out the right side of recovery.</p>
<p>But these things weren’t foreign on Azula’s face anymore, they had been taught to her over the years and absorbed from those whom she chose to surround herself with.</p>
<p>The seasons change and prove to her time and time again that even the most broken pieces can shine again, the wilting flowers can bloom again; it’s never too late.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Dead week at school's been killing me so it was good to get back into writing with a slightly bigger than normal story for me haha. Love you guys &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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